[Bug]: Termux XFCE installation failing in version 118.0

[hansm629]

Problem description

https://github.com/phoenixbyrd/Termux_XFCE

When trying to install Termux XFCE, which creates a computing environment easily in a Termux environment, on Termux 118.0 version, a failure occurs.

phoenixbyrd/Termux_XFCE#80

Strangely,

it doesn't happen in Termux 118.1 version,
and in 118.0 version, both release build apk and Actions build apk have the same symptoms.

It is a situation where the USB storage mount function is required, so the Actions build 118.0 version (MANAGE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE permission) must be used.

Can it be fixed?

Steps to reproduce the behavior.

407678985-2a5575b2-7912-4206-bf4e-5d39584b21e2.mp4

[*] Termux primary host (worldwide) selected
    Changing main repository
[*] Running apt update
Hit:1 https://packages-cf.termux.dev/apt/termux-main stable InRelease
Reading package lists... Done
Building dependency tree... Done
64 packages can be upgraded. Run 'apt list --upgradable' to see them.
Failed to set up Termux storage. Exiting.
Please clear termux data in app info setting and run setup again
ERROR: An issue occurred. Please check /data/data/com.termux/files/home/termux_setup.log for details.
~ $

What is the expected behavior?

No response

System information

• Termux application version: v0.118.0+5af0784
• Android OS version: 14
• Device model: SM-S926N

[aqtuppsccc]

Instálalo de forma normal

[phoenixbyrd]

Instálalo de forma normal

Odd thing is, all the script does is install things through apt from termux repositories. What would be the difference between installing automatically from a script versus manually in terminal?

[davidpiano]

Does termux-setup-storage give different return values (or whatever those are called, sorry) on different versions? Or does termux-setup-storage function differently, in a way that doesn't matter to a human but does matter to a script?

I do agree with aqtuppsccc that this would probably be better as a set of instructions for the user, rather than as a script, and it's for exactly this reason: scripts quit working, and sometimes it's for mysterious reasons. Human instructions are easier for the user to debug.

[phoenixbyrd]

Does termux-setup-storage give different return values (or whatever those are called, sorry) on different versions? Or does termux-setup-storage function differently, in a way that doesn't matter to a human but does matter to a script?

I do agree with aqtuppsccc that this would probably be better as a set of instructions for the user, rather than as a script, and it's for exactly this reason: scripts quit working, and sometimes it's for mysterious reasons. Human instructions are easier for the user to debug.

Well that's what I'd like to know though ... what is the difference between manually doing pkg i some_app versus a script doing it automatically? Why would the script break something but it wouldn't if done manually instead? I'm just not understanding what that difference would be.

I've had an issue before with xfce desktop not changing wallpaper and had to write a script to work around it because the maintainer said nothing was wrong until someone else made an issue in github and it got resolved. Now I'm having issues getting desktop to even load and have to delete xfce4 directory in .config but again, maintainer swears nothing is wrong. So is there something with a script automatically installing stuff that is the culprit that somehow mysteriously does something different than manually keying in each individual letter one at a time?

[Keven03AJ]

Hello my friend whats is your problem? El mié, 5 de feb de 2025, 4:58 p. m., phoenixbyrd ***@***.***> escribió:

…

Does termux-setup-storage give different return values (or whatever those are called, sorry) on different versions? Or does termux-setup-storage function differently, in a way that doesn't matter to a human but does matter to a script? I do agree with aqtuppsccc that this would probably be better as a set of instructions for the user, rather than as a script, and it's for exactly this reason: scripts quit working, and sometimes it's for mysterious reasons. Human instructions are easier for the user to debug. Well that's what I'd like to know though ... what is the difference between manually doing pkg i some_app versus a script doing it automatically? Why would the script break something but it wouldn't if done manually instead? I'm just not understanding what that difference would be. I've had an issue before with xfce desktop not changing wallpaper and had to write a script to work around it because the maintainer said nothing was wrong until someone else made an issue in github and it got resolved. Now I'm having issues getting desktop to even load and have to delete xfce4 directory in .config but again, maintainer swears nothing is wrong. So is there something with a script automatically installing stuff that is the culprit that somehow mysteriously does something different than manually keying in each individual letter one at a time? — Reply to this email directly, view it on GitHub <#4373 (comment)>, or unsubscribe <https://github.com/notifications/unsubscribe-auth/BHO76GAMOTBPSU74WNRZ2Z32OKJP7AVCNFSM6AAAAABWCSR7NKVHI2DSMVQWIX3LMV43OSLTON2WKQ3PNVWWK3TUHMZDMMZYGIYTQOJXGA> . You are receiving this because you are subscribed to this thread.Message ID: ***@***.***>

[davidpiano]

There is an open issue here saying that termux-setup-storage was occasionally failing, silently. Maybe you've both hit the same thing.

To answer your question, the difference is simple:

A person is surprised by an unplanned error, knows what was going on when that error occurred, and can investigate; a script is never surprised, and never investigates.

(Also, your script has a number of your personal style choices that I don't like. Of course I could fix them, but IMO style choices don't belong in an install script in the first place. I want scripts to just do their job, not give me someone else's personal setup.)

[phoenixbyrd]

There is an open issue here saying that termux-setup-storage was occasionally failing, silently. Maybe you've both hit the same thing.

To answer your question, the difference is simple:

A person is surprised by an unplanned error, knows what was going on when that error occurred, and can investigate; a script is never surprised, and never investigates.

(Also, your script has a number of your personal style choices that I don't like. Of course I could fix them, but IMO style choices don't belong in an install script in the first place. I want scripts to just do their job, not give me someone else's personal setup.)

To be fair, the entire script at the end of the day is technically built specifically for me only and I only share it for others to try but as a result of sharing it I have added a few things I probably wouldn't have ever needed to add but those specific things aren't causing the issue mentioned here.

Personal theme aside as that isn't what's causing the issue, can you explain why running termux-setup-storage manually versus via the script would cause an issue one way or the other when if it does error out it provides the same error one way or the other? I'm failing to understand what the difference is and I've never encountered such issues before.

The script does have basic error detection and does output install log to a file so that it can be investigated just the same as if you had done things manually. So again I'm stuck not really understanding what the difference is between seeing it error in terminal or seeing the same error in a log file and why that would cause an issue with how something behaves.

Now, more to the point what I have actually experienced before is issues with how packages are maintained in termux, specifically with xfce and zenity to be specific. At one point wallpapers couldn't be changed but the maintainer swore there was no issue so in defeat I had to make a script so I could change wallpapers again... then someone made an official issue in github and was able to provide a detailed log of what was possibly the issue and what I was originally told wasn't an issue indeed was an issue and got fixed.

I had an issue recently as well with desktop suddenly being broken after an xfce update and the only fix was to continously remove .config/xfce directory resetting it's settings and losing all personal changes. This issue now also seems to be resolved after making a mention of it. Finally.

So I'm left bewildered on where specifically in my install script that it's causing issues and if the issue is indeed my script which I would LOVE to get insight and help in fixing if there is such issues or if there is rather an issue with how packages are maintained by other developers which to date has been my specific observation and experience. For example, why does it only install with a specific version of termux properly and not in another ... is pkg i xfce blah blah different in termux 0.118.1 than pkg i xfce in termux version 0.119.0? Are these two different commands that behave differently in these two different termux versions and is the termux version cited by OP with the usb storage feature have a different pkg i xfce command that is different than all the other pkg i xfce commands?

I mean I get the point you're making but unless you can specifically point out where in my script it's at fault then by experience I have to just not accept that as a suitable answer. I get it, no one wants to blame the almighty termux devs .. but I will be that guy based on experience so far. If it is indeed my script, I'm very ok with you saying so if you can specifically point out where the issue is so I can fix it. I WOULD LOVE TO FIX IT if it is indeed my fault because it's flipping infuriating me to no end.

[phoenixbyrd]

Forgot to mention, I have not experienced any failures with termux-setup-storage myself manually or through my setup script. OP is experiencing the issue with a specific termux build which I do not use myself. Why would the same command fail between two different termux builds and how does that relate to running that same exact command through a script which dumps errors into an error log file?